"The Apple initiative comes on the heels of Facebook’s launch last month of a news partnership called Instant Articles in which publishers ranging from NBC News to National Geographic post their stories directly onto Facebook’s newsfeed, rather than linking readers back to their own sites. Earlier this year, the messaging app Snapchat launched Snapchat Discover, which allows publishers to create special content designed to appeal to the platform’s mostly younger users.

Such efforts have sparked debate in the media world about whether the power of individual publisher-branded websites and apps is beginning to fade as digital outlets become stronger avenues to distribute content, especially to young Web users that do their reading on smartphones. In partnering with outside parties, publishers tap into huge audiences, but also inherently relinquish some control."